10+ Journal Prompts + Why Journaling is the Best Self Care Practice

It’s pretty obvious that I have been diving into the self care world head first – and I LOVE it! Natural face masks. Healthy food. Meditation. Journaling. Exercise. You name it – I want to try it. Because why don’t we do more of what makes us feel good?

Seriously. I used to go for runs all the time. And, I hated every moment of it. My body ached and my mind raced the entire time. Finally, I had an ah-ha moment and…I stopped. Groundbreaking? Not exactly, but it helped to transform my life. I started to exercise in a way that felt good for me, mentally AND physically.

Next, I stopped doing things that I didn’t like in other areas of my life. I fell in love with feeling GOOD. By cutting out all these extra activities, I made room for what truly felt good for me.

That is when my self care practice began to bloom. I created more feel-good moments for myself and became hyper aware of what didn’t serve me.

My Journaling Journey

Through my favorite podcasts and blogs, I realized that journaling was constantly talked about as a feel-good practice. I didn’t warm up to it immediately, though. My previous journaling practice (if you can even call it that) was writing about the boys I liked in a Lisa Frank diary. You remember those adorable, colorful diaries complete with a lock and key? Because what I was writing about at seven years old was oh so confidential – right?!

Well, I started my current journaling routine the same way that I did when I was seven – by buying a super cute, gold notebook. Gotta start things off on the right foot, ya know?!

Journaling felt forced in the beginning. I would make myself sit down and write a few times each week – hoping to feel what those podcasters had been talking about. That “weight lifting off the shoulders” moment didn’t come right away. But eventually I realized that I did feel more relaxed after sitting down to write for a few minutes. Especially when something was weighing on my mind.

Slowly my journaling practice transformed.

I began viewing it as a service to myself – like exercising. Exercise is good for my body and makes me feel amazing, physically. Journaling became a weekly practice that made me feel great mentally and emotionally. Why shouldn’t we take care of our mind in the same way that we take care of our body?

How Journaling can Serve You

I have always been a people pleaser. And it is something that I am constantly working on. My people pleasing ways are more than just saying “yes” to everyone. I also suppress some of my feelings and ideas so that I don’t upset anyone or become a burden. Also, I don’t like to put negative energy out into the world.

Are you a people pleaser, too? Check out How to Stop People Pleasing – hear my story and learn how breaking the people pleasing habit will lead to a happier life.

But, journaling is a way that I finally let those ideas out. If I’m stressed, I journal about it. Upset? Journal. Confused? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? You guessed it. My journal has become an outlet for me to express those feelings without getting others involved.

I can freely have a conversation (with myself) about my worries and what the future holds. I can work through those thoughts and give myself advice. The stress has been lifted. And I feel a million times better. The world is no longer on my shoulders. Now, if I still feel like I want to let those ideas out, I have a more reformed, positive way of speaking about them.

How to Start Journaling

I don’t journal every single day. Some weeks it still feels like a chore to write for a few minutes – but I never regret it. There are days that I only write one sentence. Some days my writing turns into a to-do list. Other times I have so much on my mind that I fill multiple pages. All of that is OK! It doesn’t have to be structured. My journal is filled with different colors, pictures, quotes, inspiration, stressful times, etc.

My next step is to continue journaling on days when things are going well. I have completely forgotten about my journaling practice for weeks at a time when I was busy and inspired and just loving life. That’s alright, too, but self care doesn’t have to stop.

Grateful lists are my favorite of the bunch. A grateful list doesn’t have to be deep and thoughtful. My lists are a mixture of the big, wonderful things in my life as well as the small, tiny things that I enjoy. Morning coffee almost always makes the list. So does calming music, or a recent text that made me laugh, or the fluffy blankets on my couch. Because snuggling in warm, cozy, fluffy blankets after a long day is one of my favorite things. All things cozy make the list. A grateful list is literally anything and everything you love.

Don’t set expectations for it. I have grateful lists that are three items long. When I’m feeling awesome, my lists can cover a whole page.

What do you want to change in your life? What do you hope lasts forever?

What are your goals for the next few weeks? Months? Years? What steps can you take to achieve these goals?

How do you picture your life in 1 year? 5 years? 10 years?

What are some things that you want to try? A new restaurant? Skydiving? Meditating?

What makes you feel proud? What makes you feel afraid?

What are your favorite ways to chill out/relax?

What is your ideal morning routine?

What is your ideal nighttime routine?

What would you do with five extra hours in each day?

Who inspires you? Who do you look up to? Who do you admire?

Writing in my journal has become an amazing outlet for me. It helps me relax and can remind me of all the incredible things in life. I try to make a grateful list each day, whether it is in my journal or just in my head.

Feel free to connect with me on social media or subscribe to my email list. Or both – the more the merrier! And let me know some of your favorite self care practices. Journaling is just one of my many, many favorites!

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